Theology beyond the shoreline

About

I am a husband of one angel, father of two princesses, servant of one Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and now in transition career-wise after pursuing a career in the fire department for the last 3+ years. As i come through the fog and pain of submitting that dream to my loving Father, it is here that i have begun to feel God’s call on my life into pastoral ministry. If He should see fit to entrust me with the great and noble task of under-shepherd, i now would willingly and joyfully accept the task where once i know i would not have.

I’ve always considered myself to be a theologian anyways, but no more than anyone is who has thoughts about God and seeks to understand Him – so , i guess that still puts me in the non-professional category presently; but still a theologian none the less. It is my prayer that as i push out into deep waters and try to wrestle with God and the Scriptures here that you might be blessed and learn along with me. I am always glad for a sincere fellow traveler in these deep waters. May the Spirit of God enlighten us as we seek to know Him (Jer. 9:24, 1 Cor. 2:14,15) and give us humility in how we share that knowledge with others. Soli Deo Gloria.

– Wesley C Parker

*Update Nov. 2014*

As of now I am 50%-ish through my MDiv studies at Northwest Baptist Seminary in British Columbia and serving as pastoral intern at Dunbar Heights Baptist church in Vancouver, BC where I also continue to serve as music director. I have felt so assured and confirmed now in this calling to pastoral ministry that (as often seems to be the case) I feel I am where I was always meant to be from the beginning. That being said, God is One who uses process to work into us what He has planned for future use and so I know none of that time was wasted but all many cumulative parts woven together to make me the man I am now. Even today’s circumstances – while containing present use – are also preparing me for something more in the future. At this point, I am feeling a call to church planting here in Vancouver once I complete my degree, but we’ll see what He has in store (Prov. 16:9).

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When it comes to the subject of God’s calling on someone’s life, where are the boundary markers? Which is simply to ask: what are the circumstances or events in someone’s life that would exempt them from being used any longer by God? Maybe you think the answer is obvious or perhaps your own life circumstances … Continue reading Disability, calling and the di […]

When you’re going through something difficult or scary in life, it’s the most natural thing in the world to want someone close to you; to go with you or to be right by your side. For the Christian, one of our dearest hopes in pain or trial is also that God Himself is close to … Continue reading Far away, so close: transcendence beautifying immanence

Have you ever started out on some project or endeavor, only to discover part ways in that it was actually going to be much more costly and time consuming than you had originally planned? I’ve had such an experience recently with my youngest daughter and Highland Dancing. We put her in assuming that once fees … Continue reading Costly worship?

When you’re faced with something that feels too big for you, what is one of the first prayers on your lips? Ins’t it, “God, give me strength!” or “Father, empower me for this task before me.”? This was – for instance – Sampson’s prayer as he stood between the two pillars in Judges 16:28, or … Continue reading Weaken me for Your service

We’ve all experienced it: that freeing, liberating feeling that an honest confession from a friend brings, which causes you to un-tense and say, “… Oh! So I’m not the freak I thought I was? Thank goodness!” It does’t matter as much what the subject is. Call it “misery loves company” or “true confessions”, there is … Continue reading Showing our hand: a ne […]

I’ve always loved the book of Galatians. There are few other books in the bible that demonstrate so clearly the disparity between earned righteousness and gifted righteousness as this letter from the apostle Paul to the church at Galatia. But in the same way that we continue to desire McDonalds food even after seeing Supersize … Continue reading Christ and […]

As evangelical preachers, we say that the word of God is our sole authority for all matters of life and doctrine (Prov. 30:5-6) and that we can hold to that belief because the One who ultimately wrote that word to us is also true (Romans 3:4). My question is whether or not we end up teaching … Continue reading Every lofty opinion: Preaching that prepares fo […]

After telling us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”, the apostle Paul states plainly in Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows that will he also reap.” And as I consider the recent events in the USA regarding Michael Brown and Eric Garner, for the … Continue reading The psychology of oppress […]

We’ve all heard the words and likely said them ourselves many times, “No pain, no gain.” We get (or should anyways) that most things in life that are worth accomplishing require some degree of effort and struggle in order to achieve them. But if we default to thinking about that effort and struggle in one … Continue reading The gain of pain: Suffering as p […]